Lunar New YearSaturday, February 28, 2015
11am-4pm
Courthouse Square map
(Free Museum Admission this day)
Redwood City, its Parks Recreation and Community Services Department, and partner Redwood City International will be hosting the 5th annual Lunar New Year Celebration! Mayor Jeffrey Gee and City staff will be joined by lion dancers, red panda acrobats, martial artists, taiko drummers, as well as Van-Anh Vanessa Vo, Emmy Winning Vietnamese Musician, for this celebration of the Year of the Ram. The event is free and open to the public.

The Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays in Asian heritage, often celebrated with big family gatherings, gift giving, the eating of symbolic foods, and displays of festive decorations - all focused on bringing good luck for the New Year and celebrating the imminent arrival of spring.

11:00am
Opening Lion Dance
with Shaolin Culture CenterShaolin Culture Center prepares children and adults of all ages for overall success in life by building self-esteem, discipline, determination and confidence through Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Chi Kung and Chinese Acrobatics Performance.

11:15am
Opening CeremoniesKristen Sze of ABC7 Morning News and Mayor Jeff Gee, will welcome everyone to Redwood City’s Fifth Annual Lunar New Year Celebration. Kristen co-anchors the ABC7 Morning News with Eric Thomas and co-anchors the ABC7 Midday News with Cheryl Jennings, which won the 2009-2010 Northern California Emmy award for best daytime newscast. She also reports for Assignment 7 on ABC7 News at 6. Kristen will be joined by, Crystal Lee, Miss California, to assist in kicking-off the event.

11:30am Shaolin Culture Center - lion dancers, martial artists and more!
Kung Fu is Chinese term for "martial art", it can also be called "Wu Shu". The holy Shaolin temple of the Buddhism was established about 1600 years ago on the mountain of Sung. It was the symbol of Buddhism power in China, and it also represented the ultimate domination of Buddhism over other religions in the next 1000 years in China. The Shaolin temple was built during the feudal age when warlords divided and ruled each region of China separately. Legend has it that the Shaolin temple devised powerful techniques such that enabled people to punch through concrete wall, to regenerate and heal at faster rate, and to walk on the surface of water like dragonfly.

The Shaolin Culture Center in San Mateo is keeping the Chinese traditions of the Shaolin Monks and their martial arts techniques alive by teaching both adults and children.

12:00pm Foster City Chinese Club
Our group, "Fans and Ribbons in Ballet", represents the Foster City Chinese Club. This club has been part of Foster City for over 30 years and has participated in the Art and Wine Festival, Foster City Chinese New Year Celebration, offer scholarships to outstanding Asian Students, and ran a Chinese School.

12:30pm Van-Anh Vanessa Vo Ensemble
Van-Anh Vanessa Vo devotes her life-long passion and mastery of the dan tranh zither to the creation of distinctive music blended with a cultural essence that can only come from this unique Vietnamese instrument. Among her accomplishments are the 2009 Emmy® Award-winning soundtrack for the documentary “Bolinao 52”, which she co-composed and recorded, and the soundtrack for the Sundance best documentary and 2003 Academy Awards® nominee “Daughter from Danang."

1:30pm Red Panda Acrobats
The Red Panda Acrobats was formed in 1990 in Shanghai, China. The members are professionally trained from China. Since their first performance in the United States in 1991, the troupe continues to perform year-round in a variety of venues, including corporate and company events, fairs, festivals, sporting events, school assemblies, and TV shows. Although the group is based in the San Francisco Bay area, the Red Panda Acrobats have traveled throughout the nation and overseas performing for well known companies such as Disney World, EPCOT Center, Apple Computer, and Las Vegas Casinos. They have appeared on various television shows internationally, including the Incredible Acrobats, London Television; China's Best Acrobats, Shanghai Television; the Crook & Chase Show; Mornings Live on 2, KTVU-Channel 2, San Francisco; and many more.

2:00pm California Kung Fu & Tai Chi Institute
The goal of California Kung Fu & Tai Chi is to promote both the physical and spiritual growth in our students by teaching both the external and internal martial arts styles. Our ultimate goal is to enhance a student's life through the understanding and application of the values and discipline taught in the Chinese Martial Art styles, traditions and culture.

3:00pmOH-IN Taiko Drummers
OH-IN TAIKO is a Taiko school founded by Hiroyuki "Jimi" Nakagawa in 1999. The name OH-IN means "sound of cherry blossoms", which reflects our focus on colorfulness and sensitivity to each sound. OH-IN TAIKO offers a range of classes and unique workshops open to the public in San Francisco bay area, California.

3:45pm Closing Ceremony with Far East Dragon Lion Dance Association
The Far East Dragon Lion Dance Association is a non-profit youth group and lion dance troupe which strives to use the traditional Lion Dance as a vehicle for cultural and community awareness. They are also a firm advocate for "women empowerment" especially in a culture where females are discouraged from lion dancing and are the first lion dance troupe in the Bay Area to promote females learning both the musical and dance elements going beyond traditional norms.

Redwood City’s 5th Lunar New Year Celebration
Welcome to Redwood City’s 5th Lunar New Year celebration! The Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays in Asian heritage, often celebrated with big family gatherings, gift giving, the eating of symbolic foods, and displays of festive decorations - all focused on bringing good luck for the New Year and celebrating the imminent arrival of spring. Thank you for joining us in Redwood City to celebrate the diversity of our community.

This year welcomes the Year of the Ram and the beginning of a new year on the Chinese Lunar Calendar, and for other Asian cultures. The Ram (Sheep, Goat) is the eighth sign in the Chinese astrological cycle. History suggests that before Buddha left this world, he invited all of the animals to join him around his table for a feast. Of all of the creatures in the land, only 12 arrived. The steadfast Ox led the way, but at the last moment, the Rat, opportunistic and fleet of foot, scampered over the Ox’ back and arrived first at Buddha’s door. For their loyalty and faithfulness, these animals were rewarded in perpetuity by having a year named after each of them in their order of arrival.

The 12 animals run in sequence beginning with the Rat and followed by the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Money, Rooster, Dog, and last, but not least, the Pig.

If you were born during the Year of the Ram...All information below was cited from this site.

Strengths
Charateristics of people born in the year of Sheep are tender, polite, filial, clever, and kind-hearted. They have special sensitivity to art and beauty, faith in a certain religion and a special fondness for quiet living. They are wise, gentle and compassionate and can cope with business cautiously and circumspectly. In their daily life, they try to be economical. Women born in this year are willing to take good care of others, but they should avoid pessimism and hesitation. They are kind in heart and commonly have symmetrical figures and features.

WeaknessesSheep year people are often worriers who are shy, pessimistic, moody, indecisive, over-sensitive, weak-willed and puzzled about life. They are easily inclined to be deeply religious. They are timid in nature and like to be looked after by others. They like flattery, compliment and suggestions from friends. They do not dare to express their love openly and usually have interests in strange theories.